Google is pulling apps named Cardboard from the Play Store

Future's made of Virtual Insanity

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Google is pulling apps with Cardboard in their names from the Android Google Play store.

No, it isn't just because the tech company really hates trees, but because it wants to limit confusion over its virtual reality product. The Google Cardboard headset is essentially an el-cheapo Oculus Rift, on to which you mount your phone to use as the screen, and then wrap around your face.

Cutting the cards

According to Ubergizmo, Google has started removing many of the third party apps designed for the headset that include 'Cardboard' in their name as a violation of Google's content policy. The thinking presumably is that it doesn't want apps to trick users into thinking that they are officially endorsed.

UG notes that affected apps include Cardboard VNC, Cardboard Catapult and Cardboard Theatre - though the latter has already appeared again under the new name "VR Theatre".

While you can understand Google's desire to avoid confusion, it also could conceivably make things more annoying for users as it will be less clear which apps on the store are specifically designed for Google's accessory.

Though the company has also released an official Google Cardboard app which includes a Cardboard-specific app store - so it presumably wants to encourage users to migrate on to that.